Man removed from UN terror list says Ottawa ‘abandoned’ him

A man celebrating his removal from a UN terror watchlist had one message for the people of Canada on Thursday, and a completely different one for the Canadian government.

Abousfian Abdelrazik expressed thanks to Canadians, many of whom offered their help and support while he lived in legal limbo.

His message to the Canadian government was the polar opposite: Thanks for nothing.

He said he and his family suffered a miserable seven years because he was wrongly placed on the terror list, which affected his ability to work, travel or hold a bank account.

He said his reputation was tarnished and, although his name was stricken from the list this week, Abdelrazik said his heart goes out to other innocent people who remain on the list.

Abdelrazik and his supporters say what made the difference in his case was a vocal lobby and legal effort that shed light on his situation.

“It would not be fair to claim this victory as my victory,” he told a news conference in his hometown of Montreal.

“I would say to my friends in Halifax, in Quebec, Ontario, anywhere in Canada, this is our victory. If not for your support I think I cannot reach this moment.

“But my happiness is not complete.”

He said it pains him to know that other people are on the list when they don’t deserve to be. And he had less than kind words for the Government of Canada.

“You abandoned me for seven years — and you caused me all this suffering,” he said. “You made my life and my children’s life very miserable.

“Now I am a free person. Not because of your support, but because of the support of Canadians. Now I wish you realize this fact … (and) do the right things you were supposed to do a long time ago.”

At a minimum, the 49-year-old single father of two wants a pubic apology from Canadian officials.

Abdelrazik remains on a United States no-fly list, which means he can’t fly through American airspace. He also remains on a U.S. treasury list which means he can’t have a bank account in that country.

He said he’ll fight to have his name removed that U.S. list, which his lawyers said includes many Canadians.

Abdelrazik was accused of being an operative for the al-Qaida terrorist network who trained in Afghanistan.

He was arrested but not charged during a 2003 visit to see his mother in his native Sudan.

While he was behind bars in Sudan, Abdelrazik’s passport expired and he subsequently lived in makeshift quarters at the Canadian Embassy in Khartoum.

The United States branded him a supporter of al-Qaida in 2006, and the UN subsequently added his name to the Security Council’s 1267 terror blacklist.

Abdelrazik had already been formally cleared by CSIS and the RCMP of terrorist allegations and, until this week, had been trying to clear his name since he returned to Canada in 2009.

His financial assets were frozen and he was barred from leaving the country while his name was on the list.

With the UN decision taken Wednesday, Abdelrazik’s lawyers say they hope he can now do things most Canadians take for granted: being paid for work, and withdrawing money from his own bank account without requiring written permission from the federal government.

Abdelrazik has also launched a $27-million lawsuit against former foreign affairs minister Lawrence Cannon and the Canadian government, a case that remains stalled before the courts, his lawyer said.

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